About the Institute
Teaching Āyurveda and Yoga since 1978
Our sister organization, Mount Madonna Center, has been well-known for the integrity and excellence of its regularly offered Yoga and Āyurveda programs since 1978. Mount Madonna Institute emerged from that humble beginning and was officially formed in 2006 to formally train and graduate exceptional practitioners who meet modern standards of practice and education set by professional associations in the United States, including the Yoga Alliance and the National Āyurvedic Medical Association.
History of Mount Madonna Institute
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1971
In 1971 some Americans went to India to study Yoga and found their way to a teacher, Baba Hari Dass. They asked him to come to the U.S. to teach, and he agreed. Slowly, by word of mouth, a group grew of people who came to study and practice Ayurveda and Yoga with him.
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1974
In 1974, that group formed the Hanuman Fellowship, taking the name of an ancient Indian deity representing service and devotion.
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1978
In 1978, the fellowship founded Mount Madonna Center, a 355-acre mountaintop property. From the very beginning, Baba Hari Dass taught not only Yoga, but also Ayurveda – and these were the first programs we offered, in the summer of 1978 – at the time a science of health and healing little known in the West.
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1982
In the years that followed, a series of pioneers presented Ayurveda programs at Mount Madonna Center – first Babaji, then Dr. Trivedi, Dr. Svoboda, Dr. Lad, Dr. Singh, and Dr. Shrestha. One of the students in one of those first programs (1982) was Cynthia Ambika Copple, who went on to become our founding Dean of the College of Ayurveda.
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2005
As the Center proved successful and grew, others also obtained Ayurveda training, and slowly a group came together of people deeply interested in starting a School of Ayurveda. In 2005, that group’s vision and energy were strong enough that the decision was made to form a new Institute, featuring a College of Ayurveda. Approvals were obtained, a substantial loan was borrowed, space was set aside for classes, and intense work began on developing curriculum, faculty, administration, logistics, a website, marketing, and an application to the State of California for approval to operate the Institute and its College of Ayurveda.
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2007
We received approval from the State of California, and, in January 2007, Mount Madonna Institute was approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to offer degree programs and admitted students to its first College of Ayurveda Diploma Program. Since that first class entered in 2007, we have graduated many classes of Diploma, Certificate (Practitioner), and Masters Degree students.
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2015
Mount Madonna Institute has applied for Eligibility from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). WSCUC has reviewed the application and determined that the University is eligible to proceed with an application for Candidacy and Initial Accreditation!
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2019
Mount Madonna Institute's Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Course received accreditation by the International Association of Yoga Therapists in 2019.
Mission Statement
Integrating Mind, Body & Spirit
Mount Madonna Institute is committed to wellness and positive transformation. We offer trainings, certificates, and graduate degrees that integrate the traditional systems of Yoga, Ayurveda and Community with contemporary life and prepare graduates for a variety of careers in the integrative health professions.
Learn MoreMount Madonna Institute Organizational Structure
Mount Madonna Institute operates under a governing structure using a Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for directing the Institute toward the achievement of its stated mission and pursuance of established institutional standards. The Board of Directors exercises ultimate authority over all academic and institutional functions and holds ultimate legal control over the Institute. While the Board of Directors is not responsible for the day-to-day decisions of the Institute, it does decide all major policies and issues affecting the educational aspects of the Institute. The Board of Directors is also responsible for the selection and evaluation of the Institute’s President and CEO.
President
Kathleen Savita Brownfield
Academics
Provost: Sarada Diffenbaugh, PhD
College of Āyurveda - Department Chair: Suhas G. Kshirsagar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)
School of Yoga - Department Chair: Ginger Kamalesh Hooven, MA-Ay, E-RYT 500
School of Community Studies - Administrator: Lauren Yuncker
Research Center: Shraddha Ravani, PGD
Institutional Effectiveness: Sumathi Lingappa, MS, MA-Ay
Student Services
Registrars: Sean Neesley, E-RYT 500 (School of Yoga), Sarasvati Devi Westbrook (College of Ayurveda) and Lauren Yuncker (School of Community Studies)
Clinical Administration: Sumathi Lingappa, MS, MA-Ay
Library Services: Susan Robeck, MA, Cami Arndt
Marketing & Finance
CFO: Shanti Cruddas
Finance Team – Lila Ansell, Jaya Maxon
Bursar: Carey Schlett, MPH
Publicity & Social Media: Mariah Giunta
Faculty
MMI Board
- Dr. Swarup Wood, PhD, Chair
- Cathy Purnima Conway, MS
- Jennifer Rand, BA, Secretary
- John Dayanand Diffenbaugh, E-RYT
- Dr. Richard Bernstein, DO
- Mary Champagne, CPA
- Yolanda Sangita Diaz-Houston, PhD
- Paula Anima Holtz, PhD, RN, FNP
- Timothy J. Walsh, JD
- Deborah Manisha Wechsler, RN, PHN, MPH
- Mary M. Somerville, PhD
- Sathya Narayanan, MBA
Advisors
- Peter Block MA
- Paul Born, MA
- Cynthia Ambika Copple, BA, CMP
- Gerald Brajesh Friedberg, PhD
- Cyd Jenefsky, PhD
- Iris Kachuck, PhD
- Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc
- Ralph Wolff, PhD
Academic Catalog
Find all program and course descriptions, calendar dates, admissions info, student's rights and responsibilities, and academic policies.